Speakout 10-30

Wednesday, October 30, 2002

Proposition A in the upcoming election is just now beginning to receive media attention. Is this by chance or by plan? Proposition A imposes an excessive tax on individuals who utilize a perfectly legal substance, under the pretense that the revenue it generates will go to research on or resolution of medical problems created from use of this substance. A very small percentage of the expected revenue would go for this. The rest is to create yet another bureaucracy to oversee its implementation. That substance is tobacco. The highest taxes imposed is on cigarette packs, 55 cents per unit or an additional $5.50 a carton. There is also a provision that adds 20 percent tax on other tobacco products. The cigarette tax alone represents a 300-plus percent increase over the current rate. That's one huge increase on anything. The State of Missouri didn't utilize the monies from the tobacco settlements as intended (for care and research into tobacco-related health issues). How can we be assured that the monies generated by Proposition A will not have a similar fate? Further, Proposition A was not created in the state legislature. It was not subject to the process in which most concepts become law. It came to the ballot via the petition process, a process driven by anti-tobacco zealots who freely trample on the rights of others and wish to impose their will on same. This is not the American way. You don't excessively tax a freedom of choice issue. Having lived in California before moving to Missouri, I have seen this process in action and taken to the extreme. One can't even smoke at a outside sports venue, bar, and/or restaurant. There is no such thing as a smoking section. If Proposition A succeeds and becomes law in Missouri, what's next? What will be the next perfectly legal substance to have excessive taxes imposed on it? Barbecue, since the process creates carcinogens? Facetious? Yes. But then so is Proposition A.

I agree with the SpeakOut caller who says we should not vote for Jim Talent. I don't know if Jesus Christ himself could overcome the Bush administration's attempt to buy our Senate seat. Mrs. Carnahan has done a good job, but she won't be Bush's puppet, so he wants her out. What a shame for us.

Response to editorial

Mike Jensen, your editorial concerning "Drop comment" epitomizes how spin doctors "we politics" enter their efforts to enlighten the masses. You are quick to point out that Jean Carnahan has most of her scripting prepared for her, but failed to point out to your audience, your customers, that script-writing is commonplace in all quarters of politics. Additionally, you focus on the illusion that this "drop comment" was part of her script. Taking these two criticisms into consideration, do you think George Bush was scripted when he announced that "after all, this was the man who killed my father," was referring to this current target of the American war machine? Or, should we give sole credit to "W." for ignorantly unveiling the family vendetta against Hussein? Jensen, put all drop comments aside for a second and focus on what is truly important here. Regardless of who says what during campaign season, our President is sending our country into unnecessary war based on a family vendetta.

The $2 trillion this President has spent in only 10 months has bankrupted this country. Now he wants to send your children to a possible death in a Mideastern war. Say a prayer for his demise from this earth every night like I do.

How many acknowledged millionaires and billionaires are there in the United States? I understand many millionaires made their money in the 1990s to 2000.